Outdoors, in the fire extinguisher training station, incoming graduate students hoisted red canisters of carbon dioxide to snuff out flames in a burn pan. Inside, in the pyrophoric reagents station, they witnessed a safe transfer of a highly flammable chemical from one flask to another via a Iuer-syringe and balloons. And at the gas cylinder station, they watched gas escape from a pressure vessel – a potential hazard for fires, explosions, poisoning, and cold or chemical burns.
Dangerous scenarios were staged across the six teaching labs and courtyard of the Sterling Chemistry Laboratory (SCL) on Aug. 30 for the 7th annual Safety Day, emphasizing an eye-opening reality: chemists must practice safety precautions vigilantly when conducting hazardous research.
“Safety Day is an annual event put on by the Yale Chemistry Joint Safety Team (JST) and Yale Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to promote safety culture through resources, demos, and trainings,” said Jessica Freeze. “For the incoming graduate students, it is their first exposure to safety in the department and serves to set the standard they should expect throughout their time here.”